CMU Beef Of The Week #141: Diplo v Guns

Amongst some pretty amazing and brilliant things, there are a lot of things about America that are strange and confusing, particularly the seemingly widespread belief that everyone owning guns – lots of guns – is a good thing. I get that there’s a thing that some men wrote nearly 250 years ago that says all Americans have the right to own guns – lots of guns – but people said lots of things 250 years ago that seem a bit silly now.

This week things have got all contentious (even more than usual) because President Obama has started the process of introducing new legislation that would stop people from owning guns – lots of guns – of the sort that are designed to kill people – lots of people – in wars and stuff. The National Rifle Association of America (NRA), in its infinite wisdom, released a video kicking up a fuss because he’s not introducing their proposal to have armed guards in schools, even though his kids are protected by the secret service. This makes him a hypocrite, they say. Even though it really doesn’t.

Anyway, Diplo, who once paraphrased the NRA’s ‘Guns don’t kill people, people do’ mantra for an album title, has emerged as the voice of reason on this matter. This is yet another strange and confusing American thing (though for us Brits, is less unsettling than having Piers Morgan as the frontman for sensible thinking, as had been the case in recent weeks).

Coming in for a not inconsiderable amount of stick from some of his followers regards his gun views, Diplo tweeted: “If Thomas Jefferson and the founding home boys knew we would kill children with assault rifles they probably would [have] reconsidered the Second Amendment. But in 1776 tyrannical government was an issue… in 2012 it’s mental health”.

Later, after all that stick I mentioned, he joked: “Actually I’m wrong. We probably just need to start arming our lil children with guns cuz bad people got em too”.

Then later still: “All you weird kids that love to suck NRA balls… you’re just doin free promo for arms dealers. Why don’t you make your own weapons? It’s way cooler”.

And warming to the theme: “Everyone trying to say they need guns to protect themselves from the government. Have fun with your assault rifle when they drop a nuke on your house. We need to give our kids nukes to protect them from other kids. Nukes for everyone! Carrying a nuke is a lifestyle”.

So, to conclude with a quick summary. Diplo wants to arm the kids with nuclear weapons.